State Governor Tom Wolf has signed an expansive gaming package (H 271) in Pennsylvania, formally joining New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware and making his state the fourth in the United States to say yes to online gambling.
This follows the Pennsylvanian House’s vote of 109 in favor and 72 against last Friday in favor of the bill to legalize online gambling, among other things. The Pennsylvania Senate passed the bill with a vote of 31 in favor and 19 against earlier last week.
The bill legalizes online casino gambling, that includes slot machines and table games and online poker and also includes provisions for daily fantasy sports, sports betting, lottery products, video gaming terminals at selected truck stops, tablet gaming at airports as well as up to 10 satellite casinos.
However, online casinos and poker will not come into effect right away as the law only takes effect 60 days after Wolf’s signature. Thereafter the state must publish regulations and hand out licenses to conduct iGaming.
It would appear as though the second half of next year would be a target date for the launch of online casinos and poker in the state.
The state is due to grant a number of $10 million licenses allowing operators to delve into online slot machines, table games and poker all at once.
Online slot machine revenue in the state will be taxed at 54% while online table games and poker will be taxed at a 16% rate.